Advertising apparatus



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gwvmtoz Ml-L/HM J. MASON Clttomwq Jan. 28, 1930. w. 5. WILSON ADVERTISING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 9, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v l ul l gwvanl o'a MLM/VM 5. MASON dbbomwq Jah. 28, 1930.

Filed Feb. 9, 1929 w. 5. WILSON ADVERTI S ING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I gwumtoz MALI/7 7. MASON 40 diagram.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1O Patented Jan. 28, 1939 UN STAT PA ENT orrrce WILLIAM s. wI son, or wAsHinGToN, DISTRICT on CO UMBIA, ASSIGNOR or FIFTY PER CENT To SHERMAN V]. FRAZIER, O

i i I Anvnn'risrn Application filed February member, thus providinga built-up or-knockf down type of display sign that can be increased or decreased atwill.

1 Another object of the present invention is the provision of a sign of thistype which can be used for counter and window display, and in which the signs can be changed at will to provide a simple and practical display sign.

With the foregoing'and other objects in view and which will appear asthe description proceeds, the presentinvention resides in the arrangement and combination of parts as herein set forth claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l'is a front elevation of a multiple display sign, including the master unit and two auxiliary units.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the master unit and one of the auxiliary units. Figure 3 is a cross section on line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 2. I

Figure 5 is across section on line 55 of Figure 2. I

Figure 6 is a view of the electric circuits in designates a base which has mounted thereon a casing 11, preferably made of sheet metal and particularly shaped to house the various necessary parts. The casing 11 is composed of two end walls 12 and 13 and the front 14 is open for displaying the movable signs as will presently appear. The lower strip 15 is for a fixed sign which may be perforated so that light rays from within the casing will and more particularly Figure 4 is a cross section on line 44 of r wnsnrneron, ms'rrucr or COLUMBIA e APPARATUS,

'9, 1929. Serial No. 338,73 8.

be visible therethrough, or character maybe painted or otherwise attached thereto.

- A gear box 16 is attached to the end wall 12, i

and it carries a tubular support 17 for'the electric motor 18. The drive shaft 19 is mounted in the support17, and operates the gearing 20, which contains the ,maltese cross or'star gear 21, whereby the short shaft 21" has imparted thereto intermittent rotary movements during the continuous rotation of thedrive shaft. The sign carrying member 22 is connected to and rotated by the shaft 21 attached tothe end piece 24 thereof. The end pieces 24 and 25 are connected together by the four rails or strips 26, and tlie'se'cond end piece 25 is provided with the bearing 27 that surrounds the hollow fixed shaft 28, adjustably mounted in the end wall 13 of the casing 11'. Y V I Carried upon the inner end of the shaft 28 within the member 22 is an electric light or bulb socket 29 for the removable reception of the long show case type electric lamp or bulb 30. s

To properly energize the motor and bulb, the latter intermittenly and only when the member 22-is stationary, aconductor cord 81 is provided to plug into an outlet, and

the switch 32 controls the motor while the switch 33 controls the lighting circuit. Thus I the motor can be operated alone to produce an intermittently rotated display sign or the bulb can be lighted intermittently as the sign is intermittently halted; or the signs may be lighted while the motor is inert. Thus providing a sign capable of use in a variety'of manners or waysto provide an at tractive display.

' To accomplish the intermittent energization of the electric li ht, a switch composed of the fixed and mova le contact members 34 and 35 are placed in series with the lamp, and are opened and closed by the rotation of the member 22, said contacts being open when the member ismoving and closed when stae tionary, and in exhibiting position.

In order to permit the member 22 to be the master member of a multiple display sign, the auxiliary casings 36 and 36 are employed and mounted in each is a rotarysign carrying member 22 similar in construction to the member 22 and having the same corelated parts. Carried by the member 22 is a large gear 37 which is accessible through the slot 38 of the casing 11 for the meshing therewith the small intermediate gear 39 bodily carried by the casing 36 or 36, and in mesh with the large gear 40 of the member 22; while the casing 36' rests upon to cause its gear 39 to engage the large gear 40 in the casing 36. In this manner the number of the auxiliary units may be increased or decreased, and the member 22 will at all times constitute the master drive for the auxiliary members 22. The lamps 41 carried respectively by the easings 36 and 36, are connected in parallel with the lamp 30, through the socket and plug 43 and 44, carried respectively by the lower and upper casings.

It will thus be apparent that to increase the ,present display apparatus from a single.

unit to a double or triple unit, that the easing 36 can be placed on top of the casing 11, so that the-plug enters the socket for the electrical connection, and the small gear 39 meshes properly with the large gear below,

and that all members 22 and 22 will be rotated together or in synchrony to, as will presently appear, display their signs, while the electric lights of each member will be energized and de-energized simultanenously as the'members 22 and 22 are rotated.

In order that signs may be removably carried by the respective members, four to each member, the rails or strips 26, are each so -formedas to have the two right angled channels 45 and 45, and the opposite channels 46 and 46. One channed 45 of one rail 26 and the opposite channel 45 of the ;next rail 25 for receptacles for the strip 47 of glass, and which may be of any desired shade, while inone channel 46 of one strip 25 and the opposed channel 46 of the next rail 26 is a curved in cross sect-ion sheet or strip 48 of transparent or translucent material, preferably celluloid or paper, and upon which is placed the sign to be displayed. This sign may be painted thereon, stencilled or cut, or in fact formed in any desired manner. The glass strips are interposed between the inflammable sign carrying strips and the electric lamps, and thus act as a fire guard.

To provide a means so that the various strips 47 and 48 may be removed without dismantling the members 2'2 and 22, each casing 11, 36 and 36, at the end remote from .thegears, is provided with anopening 49.00a-

trolled by a removable lid 50.

In using the present display sign vfor multiple signs, the strips 47 may be of four different colors for each member, and said members are rotated so that the same color is exhibited through the open front. The motor and light switches are then turned on, and the various members 22 and 22 arerotated intermittently, while the lights are energized intermittently and only when the members 2222' are stationary. In this manner, the members 2222 are illuminated and the signs carried upon the strips 48 are visible with the color display occasioned by the color of the strip 47.

Due to the fact that the strips 48 are easily removable, new signs can be easily inserted to produce a daily changed selling medium,

the member of the auxiliary unit whereby the latter member is rotatedfrom the former. 2. A display apparatus, according to claim 1, in which an electric lightis located in each .member, and means controlled-by the member of the masterunit for causingtheiintermittent and simultaneous energization of the lights of both units.

3. An advertising apparatus, including a base, a master rotatable sign carrying member mounted thereon, an electric motor for driving the same, a second rotatable sign carrying member detachably and operably connected to the first from above antltobe driven therefrom, an electric light for illuminating each sign carrying member, means-interposed between the motor and the first sign carrying member whereby intermittentmovement is imparted to both sign carrying members, and means controlled by the latter to intermittently energize said lights.

4. An advertising apparatus according to claim 3, in which each sign carrying member carries a piurality of signs, and in which the exhibiting period of each sign and the energization of the lights is fora greaterperiod than the movement of the members.

5. An advertisingapparatus according to claim 3, in which each sign carrying member comprises two end supports and a plurality of connecting rails, and a protecting sheet and a sign carrying sheet mounted between each pair of adjacent rails, the protect-ing sheet being near the electric light.

6. An advertising apparatus according to claim 1. in which the rcvolvable member consists of two end supports and a plurality of rails, and a protecting sheet and sign carrying sheet slidably mounted between each pair of such rails.

7. An advertising apparatus according to claim 1, in which each sign carrying'meniber is composed of two end supports and {four rails, and two sheets mounted removably between each pair of rails and in spaced 1:61:1

tion to eachother, the sheet nearer the electric light be a transparent or translucent protecting sheet. 7

' 8. A display apparatus, including a Inaster unit having a casing; a multiple sign carrying member rotatably mounted therein, and comprising two end supports and four rails connecting the supports to form a cage, and a sheet to carry a sign removably mounted between each pair of rails; an electric motor; and a gearing including a star Wheel operably connecting the. motor to the multiple sign carrying member and whereby the latter member is intermittently rotated to produce a rapid movement and a sustained WILLIAM s. WILSON. 

